In the past two years of my college experience, only one particular group of people has genuinely disturbed me.Frat boys.Generally speaking, a frat boy is any Greek member who invests his entire identity into his fraternity.More practical definitions of “frat boy” can be found at Urbandictionary.com, or by consulting the fat sorority girl nearest you.Let me clarify. The term “frat boy” does not represent every fraternity member. Most fraternity members are  normal because they realize fraternal obsession is about as admirable as recycling used condoms.But if you’re reading this column because you pitched a tent when you saw the word “broskie” in the headline, don’t flatter yourself into thinking you’re an exception.Like guys who wear their high school letter jackets, diehard fraternity members have always been a source of comic relief on campus. But lately the frat boy cliché has been degraded from pathetic stereotype to sick joke.This doesn’t mean athletes fall into the frat boy category because they dress alike.I’ll be glad to respect frat boys’ unique dressing preferences and inherited exclusivity the day they actually achieve something other than their required community service.Because chasing 16-year-old women at Reggie’s doesn’t equate to winning a championship or accomplishing anything substantial.To understand the frat boy problem, one must identify its origin.The Greek de-evolution typically starts during rush. Hazing and overindulgence have always been hot topics during initiation. Five Greek organizations are either under probation or suspension at the University, according to Greek Life Organizational Status. In the past decade there have been at least 46 documented cases of punitive action taken against all Greek organizations.Many believe these clubs should be culpable for their irresponsibility and should face stricter regulation.Further restriction may address the symptoms, but it won’t fix the underlying difficulty.The problem isn’t the concept of fraternity — it’s the perversion of principle.Fraternities were intended to hold their members to a higher standard, both academically and socially.My gripe isn’t with the idea of fraternity — it’s with the battle some members wage against individuality.Mixing insecure teenagers with emotionally bare, sexually deprived “mentors” isn’t a healthy combination. What you get is an assembly line of blind followers instead of a group of well-equipped leaders.Most fraternities operate respectably and offer their members a decent service. These groups shouldn’t be undermined by the few that represent their cause dishonorably.Diversity is one of the characteristics that makes college campuses special.Unfortunately, it seems more students are being placed on the assembly line and molded into indistinguishable caricatures of each other.Most Greeks realize fraternity shouldn’t exclude individuality.Pledges can maintain their individuality so long as their entire identity isn’t rooted in a fraternity. The same logic applies to any other social group.Students can take many avenues to gain a sense of camaraderie.Regardless of the route, the price for acceptance should never outweigh the value of self-identity.What you do and which group you join shouldn’t define who you are.Part of the maturity process involves staking your ground as an individual and not letting others sculpt your character.There will always be the select few who feel the only way they can be accepted is by submitting to the crowd.When ordinary people pay money for friends, we call them pathetic. When a group of collegiates pay for friends, we call them frat boys.If you have to pay money to make friends, you better make sure they’re worth the price. Scott Burns is a 19-year-old political science and business sophomore from Baton Rouge. 
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